Michael Wright is a harpsichordist, pianist and composer resident in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. In the past, he has performed with the Nota Bene Baroque Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra. After growing up in Chatham, Ontario, studying in the Royal Conservatory of Music system, Michael attended Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Music where he obtained an Honours
Bachelor of Music in Composition ('06), with practical studies focusing on piano and harpsichord. and Boyd MacDonald, and taken masterclasses with Heather Taves, Anya Alexeyev, and Marylin Nonken. Michael studied harpishcord with Michael Jarvis and Cynthia Hiebert. He studied music composition with Peter Hatch, Linda Catlin-Smith, Cam McKittrick and Glenn Buhr and has had compositions read by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and the Penderecki String Quartet. Michael currently teaches with the great team at Kitchener-Waterloo's Uptown School of Music. Michael's approach to teaching music is comprehensive, exploring a broad repertoire and engaging in learning the theory and history behind the music. Since he began teaching in 1999, Michael has gathered experience working with students of all ages from young beginners to older adults. He has experience working with students with learning disabilities and autism, gearing lessons and pedagogical approaches to meet diverse needs. Michael is concerned with following the best of pedagogical practices, from whole-body approaches to piano playing to the neuroscience of learning. He has helped students meet their goals, including achieving marks of distinction in Royal Conservatory examinations and stellar performances in recitals, competitions and festivals. Outside of music, Michael teaches Applied Science at Conestoga College and is president of the Kitchener Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Michael is also an instructor at Kitchener-Waterloo Yoshinkan Aikido, where he holds the rank of sandan.
